Brookings port seeks help funding salmon derby

September 21, 2012 10:19 pm

The Port of Brookings Harbor will seek community involvement to help with the 2013 Slam’n Salmon Ocean Derby because the popular derby is a huge financial drain on the Port, co-event coordinator Jean Day said.

“Basically, we need financial help in order to expand the derby and make the derby run,” she said.

Typically, the Port is lucky to break even.

“We don’t take in a profit,” Day said. “There’s no money made off the derby. All of the money put into the derby is used at the derby. It pays for everything going on that day: prize money, employees.”

This year, the Port grossed $44,500 from the event; $500 of that was donated to fish enhancement programs.

Ideally, Day would like to see hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, “everyone who’s affected by the influx of resources to help out.”

The Port is looking for sponsorships, and more volunteers because it doesn’t have a budget for events, Davidson said.

“We don’t have a budget for it, and we don’t have an allotted amount of money we get to use for these events,” Davidson said. “Since we’re not nonprofit, it’s hard get sponsors.”

The Port continues to holds the derby each year because “it’s a huge event for the community. People look forward to it all year long,” Day said. “We want to help out the community. … We want to provide the event.”

The 2012 Slam’n Salmon Ocean Derby saw 445 fishermen register. They brought in 594 fish, weighing a total of 7,279.9 pounds, which were worth more than $50,000 at current market prices.

The barbecue dinner attracted 900 people. A total of 250 pounds of salmon filets that were soaked in 12 gallons of marinade, 600 ears of corn, six cases of dinner rolls, 25 pounds of butter, 75 pounds of potato salad and 80 watermelons were consumed.

Port employees and 52 volunteers who worked the three-day festival that included 51 vendors on the boardwalk made the derby possible.